pfautz



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. M. PFAUTZ. Extension Tower.

No. 226,101 Patented Mar. 30, 18-80.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. M. PFAUTZ. Extension Tower.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

DANIEL M. PFAUTZ, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LEOPOLD STERNBERGER, SAMUEL STERNBERGER, AND- ELIAS P.

BMITHERS, OF SAME PLACE.

EXTENSION-TOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,101, dated March 30, 1880. Application filed September 4, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. PFAU'IZ, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Extension- Towers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in portable extension-towers or fire-escapes, the main object of my improvements being to provide strong and effective means for extending and contracting the tower and for tilting the same to one side or the other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a view of the truck with the tower in its contracted condition Fig. 2, the same with the tower extended; Fig.3, Sheet 2, a side view, drawn to a larger scale, of part of the apparatus; Fig. 4, a transverse section;

'Fig. 5, Sheet 1, a sectional view of the upper end of the tower, and Fig. 6 a sectional plan v1ew.

A is aframe or truck mounted upon suitable wheels, so that it can be readily drawn from place to place. Secured to this frame A are two frames or standards, B, to bearings near the upper ends of which are adapted the ends of a transverse shaft, to, which, in connection with arms b, projecting therefrom, carries the extension structure, the latter consisting of four sets of levers, D, D, D and D the levers of each set being connected together on the lazy-tongs principle, and the four sets forming the sides of a square hollow column,

the adjacent ends of the levers of the different sets being connected together at the corners of the column by curved bolts (1.

The ends of the shaft a project beyond the hearings in the frames B, and to each projecting end of the shaft is secured a plate, F, having on the outside a central box or bearing, 0, in which turns a vertical shaft, f, that portion of said shaft above the box 6 being provided with a left-hand thread, and the portion below the box having a right-hand thread, or vice versa.

To the threaded portions of the shafts f are adapted nuts g, which are guided by slots in the plates F, and are attached to shafts it, one

of which is arranged above and the other below the shaft to. These shafts t't'serve, with the fixed shaft a, as pivots for the three lowermost pairs of levers of the sets D and D so that when the shafts f are turned in order to cause the nuts to recede from each other the structure is extended, and when the nuts are caused to approach each other the structure is contracted, the sets of levers D and D operating in unison with the sets D and D owing to the fact that they are connected thereto by the bolts cl.

The shafts f may be operated in different ways, so as to work in proper accord, bevelgearing and a transverse shaft, j, being shown in the present instance as the means of acconr plishing this end.

The frames F are widened at the lowerends, the lower edge of each frame being made in the form of a toothed segment, m, adapted to the teeth of a worm, n, the shafts of these worms being connected together by bevel-gears and a transverse shaft, 8, so as to operate together.

By turning the worms in one direction or the other the entire structure may be caused to swing on the shaft a, the limit of movement in either direction being determined by the contact of the lower shaft, 1', with the legs of the standards B.

The side frames of the column are not secured rigidly to the shafts a and i and arms I), but can slide upon the same, this being necessary, owing .to the fact that as the structure is extended vertically its diameter is decreased, a contrary effect resulting on the vertical contraction of the structure.

The structure has at the top a cage, G, on the under side of which is a central block, t, from which project arms to, the latter passing through sleeves which connect together the upper ends of the top levers of each sideframe, the latter thus serving to support the cage.

Additional support is rendered by levers J, pivoted to the main levers of each side frame, and having anti-friction rollers 00, which bear on the under side of the cage. The levers J accommodate themselves to the varying conditions of the structure as it is raised or lowered.

Owing to the structure being made in the form of a hollow column, it is stiff and selfsteadying when elevated, no outside guys or braces being necessary to insure its stability.

If desired, the structure may consist of but three sets of connected levers, or in some cases more than four sets may be employed.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the extension structure composed of sets of lazy-tongs levers connected together as described, the frame or truck A, the standards B, the shaft a, to which the structure is hung, the shafts i, the nuts g, and the right-and-leit-hand-threaded shafts f, as specified.

3. The combination of the extension structure and its shaft a with the plates F, hung to said shaft and carrying the operating screwshafts f, as described.

3. The combination of the extension structure and its shaft (0, the slotted plates F, carrying the screw-shafts f and having toothed segmental edges m, and the operating-Worms n, as specified.

4. The combination of the cage G with the side frames of the structure and the levers J, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DANIEL M. PFAUTZ.

Witnesses:

WM. J. OooPER, HARRY SMITH. 

